WWE Clash of Champions 2017: Picks for AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Top Stars

WWE's final pay-per-view of 2017, Clash of Champions, promises excitement, drama and, most importantly, some significant clues about the makeup of SmackDown's road to WrestleMania 34.

With some big matches already confirmed for Sunday's show, it has the potential to be an explosive night.

Every title on the blue brand will be put on the line, but the ongoing battle between Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn means even the non-title bouts have something to get fans interested in.

With that in mind, here's a look at what Clash of Champions 2017 has in store for some of SmackDown's biggest stars, including WWE champion AJ Styles.

AJ Styles

The greater changes lie further down the road for the man holding the WWE Championship right now.

The prospect of AJ Styles losing the title to Jinder Mahal this weekend seems remote, and while that would leave The Maharaja in an unfortunate position heading into 2018, there should at least be optimism and enthusiasm that he's better-positioned within the company than he was at this time last year.

However, Styles needs to be WWE's priority right now. Given the other world title is barely defended on Raw, the presence of a strong, exciting and popular champion makes SmackDown the show to care about, at least in the main event scene.

So there's nothing to expect other than a Styles win on Sunday. Mahal will look OK in defeat, as he has for the most part of this feud.

Styles is the guy right now, though, and that title belongs to him for a good while yet.

The Usos

If anyone deserves the accolade of biggest success story in 2017, it's The Usos.

Jimmy and Jey have continued to get better and better since turning heel late last year, and they have been the dominant force in SmackDown's tag division for the most part this year.

However, they face a huge challenge to keep hold of their tag titles on Sunday, when they take on long-standing foes The New Day and Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable, as well as Rusev and Aiden English.

That presents WWE with a problem. While The New Day could easily survive without the belts, the rise of Benjamin and Gable deserves a run with the tag team titles at some point.

Right now, though, it feels unwise to take the belts away from Jimmy and Jey. It looks like a straight shootout between those two teams for the victory, but the smart decision seems to be keeping the belts on The Usos—for now at least.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

For SmackDown's two reckless rebels, the formula is clear for Sunday night.

A win will see Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens take a significant step up the ladder on SmackDown Live. If they lose, they're out of a job.

With this being the eve of WWE's annual road to WrestleMania, it is clear there are bigger plans in the pipeline for everyone involved in the match which could easily headline Sunday's show.

Even their opponents, Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton, will move on from this feud pretty quickly. But it's what happens at the end of this match that concerns Owens and Zayn.

Will they win and keep their jobs? Almost certainly. The opportunity is there for WWE to build something pretty special in the coming months, though, so how they win is the biggest talking point here.

Back an Owens-Zayn victory, but not without a touch of shenanigans here and there. And that could impact on the two men running the blue brand even more than the wrestlers themselves.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon

Grand plans are on the way for SmackDown Live's two senior figures.

Even with general manager Daniel Bryan's own in-ring future still up in the air, with no end in sight for his clearance to return to action, WWE is clearly pitting him and commissioner Shane McMahon on a WrestleMania-bound warpath.

That feud should kick off properly on Sunday. By installing himself as the special guest referee for the main event, it's clear McMahon is beginning to infuriate Bryan by the way he remains obsessed with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

Bryan wants them to remain on the roster; that much is clear. So does the GM take matters into his own hands and actually help them win and keep their jobs?

That opens up the dangerous possibility of turning Bryan heel, which would be a waste of time, as fan momentum and popularity would ensure he would have to turn back to babyface at some point, just like when he joined The Wyatt Family earlier in his career.

The smart bet is McMahon turning heel. But what is a near-certainty is that by Sunday night, Daniel Bryan vs. Shane McMahon will have all the fuel to ignite.